1 YEAR OLD FEMALE BLACK LAB, HASN'T BEEN SPAYED..HELP!!!!!!!

[Fudgie]

ok, the very first thing you need to do is get HER attention. Put a training collar on her the slip chains. They WONT hurt her. Then attach a lead to it. Start walking...come across obstacles like a tree or a car or whatever and if she goes towards it turn immediately in the opposite direction and RUN so she has to come with you . Her chain collar will rip and it will sound horrid and she might yelp but she will decide that every time you do this that it is WISE for her to pay attention to YOU or she will get yanked in the other direction. Keep her on your left side ALWAYS! Dont let her get accustomed to being on the right. That is not correct in dog training. Do this for only about 20-30 minutes at a time or you will really burn her out. After about the second or third time of this, she will learn to follow with you and come along. ALSO you will be the Alpha female!

Go at a tree where she can go on one side and you on the other and let her get "caught" on the wrong side. KEEP WALKING, she will come. (THEN PRAISE HER) Don't HURT her but keep walking. Like I said eventually after the 6 days of doing this she will be by your side like a champ. At that point you can move on to sit and such. Please try this. You will be amazed!

This will eliminate the tendency for her to bolt away and yank you off your feet. We had this same problem with my MIL's dog and he about broke her hip dragging her down the steps. He does not do this any more. The element of surprise works wonder. You don't have to kill them, just surprise them into knowing You are boss!

 

[AndreaGS]

Don't know what others have suggested, but definitely use meal time as training time. When she wants something, make her be calm before getting it!

She wants to be pet? Make her sit and be calm first.

She wants some kibble? Make her sit and be calm first.

She wants you to give her that squeaky toy? Make her sit and be calm first.

I've found that leashing the animal to yourself can make this process quicker too. They can't get distracted or bored and walk away. And when they get bored, the only thing they can do is sit down and then you praise praise praise!

Carry treats or kibble in your pocket. I've found ignoring or a short time-out works well for discipline.

G'luck!

 

[Fudgie]

By the way those trees and cars and cats and dogs and kids and hubby and whatever you encounter that you go the opposite direction when she decides to go towards those objects are called distractions. You want to eliminate her need/want to go towards those distractions that is what the purpose of the sound of the rip(remember this does not hurt them but sounds HORRID). The sound and yank discourages them from WANTING to go towards those objects(also will eliminate the bolting towards things. She bolts you run the opposite way. YANK HER off her feet not you off yours! Again this is not meant to be a mean exercise but a getting your dogs head around what YOU are wanting of them. It is a respect/attention getter.

Remember NEVER EVER hit your dog out of frustration or madness, that does nothing. And please don't use food to train your dog. All that does is make your dog associate food with things she does not like. Also don't blame the dog....The dog is doing what dogs do best, investigating, checking out, running, playing, enjoying life, panting, jumpping, licking that is what dogs do. Dogs associate you with another play mate, not the Alpha Dog. They will play and wrestle to figure out who is the Alpha dog, make sure YOU are! When dogs are misbehaving it is generally not the dog's fault they think you want to play.


If she has eaten her doghouse, she is bored to tears, give her something indestructible to "play" with. One year old is perfect to really get a good handle on training her. You need one person in the family to take charge until she is under control.

How does she escape her chain link dog pen? Does she unlatch the gate(I have a very smart Chocolate lab that can do this and we now clip her gate with a chain and she no longer can escape. once you get a chain collar on her, you will see a newer dog. the plain collars from walmart etc are just for decor, they do not work for training and respect. Get one on her and get her to the vet to get fixed. Ask if they do a discount from the humane society, most vets do and it makes it nice to have them fixed less expensive.

Does she mind when she gets in the water or just run nilly willy? Just asking

 

[Fudgie]

Quote:
I have to agree on that sort of use of the kibble! Not for training her to stay with you though. Sitting and being a good girl YES praise praise praise. You need to do that as well when you are working with distractions, if you notice she is following you better PRAISE HER!!! She will learn that if I do good, i get praise, if I am bad, I get yanked in the other direction...thanks for reminding me of that important point andrea!

 

[Mystery Peepers]

Thanks for the leash advice!

What kind of collar did you say that makes an awful ripping sound? I think you had a typo

"Put a training collar on her the slip chains" is what you said. In answer to the question about escaping her pen. She goes about it two or three different ways.
1- she grabs the chain link with her teeth and pulls up and out until the cain link comes loose from the pen frame. Then, she wiggles out the bottom where it came loose. There's a FUNNY story that somes along with this!!

2- she jumps up and hits the latch with her nose and pushes the door open. We've fixed that one.
3- she digs out. She has only done this one once.

Some of ya'll don't know, she isn't in her pen anymore. We decided that she was getting to big to be in it and we needed a place for out chickens. It's now a chicken coop/run. She's staked out with a 30' foot cable. Which, if she was smarter, could get out of that too. Give her time.

I've been using a CHOKE chain for her leash training. Is that what you mean't Fudgie? Also, she only sits when she wants a treat. Not when I tell her to. What do i do about this?!?

 

[Mystery Peepers]

I came VERY close to putting Liberty on Pet Finder yesterday. I'm ashamed of myself. I had a registered, typed a description, had a picture uploaded, and was about to hit "Submit" when I changed my mind. We've had her since she was a little pup. We've been through EVERYTHING with this dog, and even though NOBODY in my family EVER want's me to unhook her from her cable, I think I should give her another go. She will start getting walks EVERYDAY if not 2 or 3 times a day once I get her leash trained. Also, she has NEVER been around other dogs, people or even off our property. One time, when she was out and on our front porch, a boy dog showed up and was patrolling the area. We heard Libby barking and cracked the door. (we where afraid she's tackle us) We saw her growling and her hair was on her back. She saw us and walked over in front of me and my little sisters. I tried walking out onto the porch to yell at the boy dog, but she growled and ran to get in front of me. She is a GREAT guard dog and watch dog. ANyway, thought I'd share that with you!
THanks again for the advice and tips!

-M.P.

 

[Fudgie]

Yes, I mean the choke chain. what I MEANT to say was this "Put a training collar on her, the choke chain kind" That is the one that will make a good rip if you correct her.

If she does that kind of protection with you and your sisters, keep working on her. Man I wish I was closer to you..(we might be, I don't have a clue what area of the country you are in....we might be backdoor neighbors!!! I am in Missouri)..We could do wonders for that dog!


Liberty sounds like a very smart dog! You just have to harness that intelligence and get her under control.

 

[Mystery Peepers]

Depending on where your at in missouri, where about 4-6 hours away from the stated border. I've got a choke chain I've been using, how do you put it on so that you can use it where it works right?

-M.P.

 

[Fudgie]

it is right in the middle top of the state, I do come to KC area from time to time....PM me and we can talk about possibly meeting up....I need a good road trip! LOL!!!!

 

[gaited horse]

try the head halti